


Stories of Snow

by ToothPasteCanyon (DannyFenton123)



Series: The Ice and the Fire That Fades [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-20 15:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17624828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyFenton123/pseuds/ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: Small pieces concerning The Ice and the Fire That Fades. Mostly one-shots.





	1. Raya, Part One

                “Can you tell me a bedtime story, grandpa?”

                “Sure, kid. Hmm… what should I tell you?”

                “The sea cultists! The sea cultists!”

                “Oh, haha! No, that one’s a little too exciting for bedtime.”

                A little girl sank down into her covers, disappointment written in her shining blue eyes. “Aww…”

                “It’s okay.” An old man reached down and ruffled her hair. “You know what? I’ll tell you a better story. Are you ready?”

                “What’s it about?”

                “Listen, and I’ll tell you. See, I used to be in the Coast Guard. I went all around the world, kid, and that’s relevant, ‘cause you know where this takes place? Antarctica.”

                 “Where’s Antarctica?”

                “Right at the bottom of the globe. It’s a weird place. You know I was there during the winter, and that whole time the sun never rose. And it was cold, too. Real cold.” He patted her blanket. “I wish I’d had something like this out there!”

                “How cold was it?”

                “Ah, I’d tell you a number but it wouldn’t mean all that much to you. Suffice to say, I’ve never put on so many coats in my life just to still feel cold when I was up on deck.”

                The old man looked past her for a second, his eyes shining with memories. He patted her bed again, and cleared his throat.

                “Where was I? Oh, yes. It was a strange place. You know the strangest thing that ever happened to me?”

                She huddled under her sheets. “Is it scary?”

                “I don’t think of it as a scary story, Raya. It sorta starts out like one, though.” He sat back. “It was right at the start of the rescues. I was up on deck, and I was freezing my – my tail off while we were loading up for a mission. It was real dark; sun never rose, but it did get brighter around morning. It was the middle of the night, there was none of that.” He shook his head a little. “And I’m working, and I look up, and I see this figure sitting on the rails.”

                “Were you scared?”

                “Hah. No. Honestly, I thought it was just someone goofing around, so I went over to tell’em off.” He chuckled. “I got a little closer, and it was definitely not one of the guys. It’s a mermaid.”

                Raya’s eyes went wide. “A mermaid?”

                “Yeah! He – it was a he – was sitting on the rail, and he has this big old tail hanging out the side of the ship like it’s the most normal thing in the world. I’ll never forget the way all those scales glistened in the light. It was, it was surreal, I’ll tell you.” He shook his head again. “This was right after the Transcendence, too. I’d never seen anything like it.”

                “What did you do?”

                “Well, I said hello. Didn’t really know what to do, so I figured being polite was a good place to start.” The old man crossed his arms. “He sorta sat there for a few moments, flapped his tail against the side of the ship, and then he spoke. ‘Do you play cards?’ he said. And he brought out this real beat-up deck, wrapped in seaweed. I, heh, I wanted to ask him if he was looking for a new deck of cards, but I didn’t say that.”

                He looked down at Raya, who was huddled in her blankets, her wide-eyes peeking out of the top. He smiled and ruffled her hair. “I told you, kid, this isn’t a scary story. Your parents want me to put you to sleep, not keep you up all night.”

                “What did you say to the mer-guy?”

                “Well, I told him that I did play cards. I was actually pretty good at it, you know. He says,  ‘Human, I’m bored, and you’re in mortal danger.” Leaning back on the bed, the old man looked up at the ceiling. “He says this riddle, he says, ‘Ancient sirens sing of snow. Beat me in a game of cards, and I’ll block your ears.’ I asked him what that means, and he just looks at me.”

                “Nooo. Don’t play him!”

                “Kid, don’t worry.” He smiled at her. “I told him, ‘Hey mister, I’m sorry but I got a wife and kids at home. I’m not taking some weird magic bet. But,’ I says, ‘if you’re bored, I’m always happy to play a friendly game.’ I didn’t think he’d take it – he didn’t say anything for a second – but then he starts dealing cards to me, and next thing I know I’m playing cards with a mermaid on the deck of my ship.”

                “Wait, so, you just… played?”

                “I just played.” He saw her eyes droop, and he tucked her in a little bit more. “It was freezing out on the deck, but other than that it was a pretty good game. And you know what? I won.”

                “What happened? Did he…” She yawned. “Did he give you earplugs?”

                “No. He did offer it to me, after I won. I said it was a friendly game, but he just shrugged and said he liked playing cards, and he liked my company. And he leaned forwards, and he stroked my face,” He ran a soft hand from Raya’s ear to her chin. “Like that, and then he slips off the fence and dives back into the sea. And I thought, well, that was weird. But you know, for all the strangeness that goes on down there, it’s not such a bad place. That’s what I thought at the time.” He looked back down at Raya. “Now, you see? That wasn’t a scary story.”

                She struggled to keep her eyes open. “It was… kinda creepy.”

                “Eh, I guess.”

                “I still liked it. What about… what about the mission?”

                He blinked. “The mission?”

                “Why you were in Antarctica.” Raya’s eyes drooped, and then closed. “Why… how did it… go…”

                The old man’s expression sombered. He gently rose from the bed, and tucked her in just a little tighter. He leaned forwards and kissed her on the forehead, then drew back.

                “That story’s not for bedtime, kid. Maybe when you’re a little older.”

                Rodney Garn turned out the light and left, closing softly the door behind him.


	2. Alcor

                It was maybe thirty years or so after the Transcendence when Alcor first felt it. A sudden surge of power… some kind of disturbance? Or a disturbance righting itself – he wasn’t very good at telling those apart.

                (A disturbance in the Force, Mabel would tease him later. Like a thousand dorks cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Thanks, Mabel.)

                Anyway, he sat right up in his chair when he felt it. He’d been reading to Willow and she gave him a, “What’s wrong, Alcor?” when his eyes darted around the room.

                “Nothing, nothing. Let’s… let’s keep going, shall we?”

                And when Willow and the rest of the family was slumbering peacefully in their beds, Alcor decided to check that disturbance out. He tessered himself to its source.

                A bitterly cold, dark, grey place was where he ended up. Icy snow immediately started to pile on his shoulders. There was something else, too; a magic. A strong, strange magic that pressed at his mind. Alcor immediately pushed it back and looked for the caster, but it seemed to come from all around him, from the land itself.

                Magic without a soul, thoughts without a mind, a vast body of ice beneath his feet that was reaching for him again, creeping back every time he pushed it away. _Separation is an illusion_ , it whispered in a breath of wind. _Distance is relative_. _I am infinite_.

                Alcor frowned, wondering where on Earth he was. A quick probe of his omniscience (very quick; he did not want to deal with an overload of information here) told him he was standing in Antarctica.

                “Oh, of course it’s Antarctica.” Alcor brushed the snow off his shoulders. “There can’t ever be a disturbance in some sunny beach on Hawaii. Nooo, it’s got to be Antarctica.”

                He looked around, but the source of the disturbance didn’t immediately jump out to him. He peered deeper, and saw something within the ice. It looked human-shaped, and Alcor hesitated briefly before reaching in.

                He drew out a blue shirt, frozen stiff from the cold. Short sleeved.

                Alcor raised an eyebrow. He took a moment to push away the ice’s creeping fingers, and then he probed his omniscience again. Whose shirt was this?

                _Hannah Feunna_ , it returned.

                “Hannah Feunna?” Alcor said to himself, looking at the shirt again. “Now what were you doing all the way out here, I wonder.”

                _I could ask the same of you_.

                Alcor heard it on the wind. He almost jumped out of his skin.

                “Hannah?”

                There was no response, but Alcor could feel a shift in the magic. The ice was aware of him in a way it hadn’t been before. Standing in the middle of nowhere, he could feel eyes on him, breath on the back of his neck. A presence.

                Then: _Mason Pines_.

                Not Dipper. Not Alcor. Mason. Alcor took a few steps back.

                _You see? You don’t use that name anymore. You’re more than what you were, and now it’s strange to you. The same can be said of me._

                Alcor frowned. “Okay… so who are you?”

                The wind picked up, blowing past his ears and bringing clumps of snow that caught in his hair and made him cover his eyes.

                _Separation is an illusion, and distance is relative, and I am infinite. Separation is an illusion, and distance is relative, and I AM INFINITE_

                Storms rumbled in the clouds. Alcor felt the icy tendrils pushing against his mind again. The presence kept chanting in his ear, and he could hardly see through the snowfall. A headache sprouted behind his eyes; this was getting too overwhelming, even for him. He needed to go.

                Alcor tessered away, and the shirt he’d been holding dropped to the ground. In a manner of seconds, the snow swallowed it up again.

* * *

 

 

                _And I am the ice. I am the snow. I am the cold. But I am also something else. Someone else. And I wonder whether she will ever truly fade._

                Years passed, and Alcor forgot his terrifying experience at the South Pole. Once in a blue moon the thought of the voice would cross his mind, first with a shiver, later with curiosity. It had a name; it was human, at least at first. He wondered who it used to be. Maybe it was like him.

                He didn’t go back, though. Years passed, and he stayed far away from the ice and snow.

                But then Mabel died. His sister, his companion, his best friend in the whole world, was gone forever. His family tried to comfort him, but he looked at their faces and he saw timers. Sand slipping through the hourglass, counting down to the end. Time would take them too, while he was stuck out of time. It didn’t seem real to him before, but Mabel died and he knew, one day, he would truly be alone. His mortal friends, his mortal family… they couldn’t understand.

                Maybe somebody out there could understand. And that was when the thought of the presence crossed his mind.

               

* * *

 

                He came there from Mabel’s grave. His head was still bowed, and his arms were still drawn across his chest. It had been a split decision, and now his doubts were coming back, and he hesitated as he looked around at the ice and the darkness.

                The wind blew, and the ice’s magic almost immediately tried to worm its way into his mind again. It was still surprisingly strong to him; he had to really concentrate to push it back. He remembered the last time he was here, when it nearly overwhelmed him, and he grimaced.

                He hadn’t thought this through. This was a bad idea. He should go-

                _You’re back_.

                And then he felt a presence again. It was like the very land itself was staring at him, but he had no eyes to meet. He looked around anyway, finally settling on a little lump of snow sticking out by his feet.

                “Uh, hi. It’s me again.” He laughed nervously. “Long time no see, heh.”

                The wind breathed over his shoulders. _It has been, I suppose. I haven’t been paying attention_.

                “No? Well, uh, how’ve you been doing?”

                The presence did not immediately respond. Alcor shuffled in place and started to ask again, but it spoke again.

                _It is hard for me to focus on you,_ it said in a tired sigh. _I see you came here for a purpose, and I am waiting for you to get to the point._

                 “Oh. Sorry. I’ll get to the point. Um… Sorry.”

                Alcor stopped himself. He pushed the ice away from his mind again, and he took a deep breath. The presence waited patiently as he composed himself.

                “Alright. Sorry, I didn’t really plan out what I was going to say, but…” He stopped himself again. “Look, um, I have a sister –had a sister.” He stopped one more time, staring down at the ground. “Had a sister. And I know we don’t really know each other, but I know you were human, just like I was. And… I’m really scared. Everybody just keeps getting older, you know? And one day…”

                He trailed off. The presence finished it for him.

                _They’ll die and leave you alone_.

                Alcor hesitated, and then he nodded. “Y-yeah, they’ll… that’ll happen.”

                The presence said nothing again for a time. Snow fell on his shoulders and into his hair. The ice inched closer to his mind, and he pushed it away once more. Every time he did that, though, he could feel his fingers getting number, and he could feel the bite in the wind get a little harder. It was like he was actually feeling the cold.

                As he thought about that, the presence spoke again. _I had a sister_ , it said, its voice as soft as breath on his neck. Alcor knew nobody would be there, but he turned around anyway, looking out into the darkness.

                “How do you deal with it?”

                _I forget about her._

“You forget?”

                _Why would I remember? She’s ash. Beneath me. Her soul has moved on, and I have too. I don’t need my human memories._

                Alcor frowned. “So you just… lose yourself?

                _I wouldn’t call it that. But I do close my eyes and… drift. Maybe you can do that too._

                “Oh, no,” He shook his head. “No. I need all the human memories I can get.”

                _Why_?

                “Well… look at me. I’m a demon. Bad things happen when I just do whatever.”

                _Not to you_.

                The wind seemed to blow a little colder. Alcor took a step back. “Well, no, but that’s not the point.”

                _What is the point, then_?

                “Wha- I don’t… what does this have to do with anything?”

                _I see the point. I see everything. I close my eyes and it’s all there_. The voice was fading now, fading away. _Because separation is an illusion, and distance is relative, and I am infinite…_

                “Wait. Are you still there?” Alcor pushed the ice away from his mind and spoke up. “We got really existential at the end there for some reason. What was that thing you were saying before? Hello?”

                Nothing answered him. He paused, and shivered.

                “Hannah?”

                And it was there again. The presence.

                _You’re here again._

                “Yeah. Um, I never left.”

                It hesitated. _I see that now. And you were talking about your sister. And my sister. And what you should do._

                Alcor nodded.

                _I think we’re very different. Because the answer is obvious to me, and unthinkable to you. You ask me because I was human, but we were two very different humans._

“So, you think I should just forget about her, then. I won't do that.”

                _I see you won’t,_ said the ice. The wind picked up. _I see you chasing ash to the end of the universe, putting yourself through hell just for one last taste of what you’ve lost. I see your fleeting peaks of happiness. I see the vast, dark valleys between them, the depths you’ll sink to, the ever-growing guilt that will drag behind you as you struggle to climb back up and feel what it’s like to be loved again. I see us meeting at the end. And I see, when we meet, which one of us will be broken. I see everything. Because separation is an illusion, and distance is relative, and I AM INFINITE._

                Alcor backed away, but the voice echoed all around. Ice dug deep into his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut and held his head so tight his claws dug into his skin. The voice, the ice, kept chanting, chanting-

_SEPARATION IS AN ILLUSION, AND DISTANCE IS RELATIVE, AND I AM INFINITE_

                He growled low, and tessered himself to the Mindscape. Here it was dark. Here it was quiet. Here, he was alone. Alone with his thoughts.

                His breath hitched, and turned to a sob. Mabel. He just wanted Mabel. He just wanted her back. More than anything in the world.

                “I’m not going to forget you,” he whispered to the void. “I won’t.”

                “I can’t.”


	3. Raya, Part 2

                Gravity Falls, 2052. The world may have changed drastically in the forty years after the Transcendence, but the sleepy little town was still much the same as ever. Chimney smoke drifted up above the treetops, and people went about their unusual days, working at the same job they’d held all their lives, going home to the same house their family had lived in for generations. There were more tourists than there used to be, and there was a museum and a new hotel outside the town borders, but if you walked down its streets, you could still recognize the mysterious place just west of weird.

                At least, that’s what Raya Tymast heard. And she interviewed Quentin Trembly; you couldn’t get a more primary source than that.

She sat in her hotel room now, her back up against the wall next to the only outlet, a laptop resting on her legs and camera equipment strewn across the floor. Her phone was balanced on the side of her head, and she spoke as she typed furiously away.

                “Yeah, yeah, grandpa – don’t worry. I’m just kind of… kind of…“ She trailed off, and stabbed the backspace a few times. “Sorry. They just gave me this Gravity Falls story, and I couldn’t pass it up. I’m really sorry about the trip.”

                Garn’s voice was calm. “I get it, kid. Don’t worry, I know this was a big deal for you. Gravity Falls, eh? They’re just letting you loose on the town?”

                “Haha, yeah. It’s for the fortieth anniversary of the Transcendence – it’s actually a pretty big story. I don’t know why they gave it to me– it’s awesome, but-”

                “Cause you’re good at what you do, that’s why. I’m proud of you, kid.”

                Raya smiled, but it quickly faded. “I feel bad, though. We had that whole trip planned out. You were gonna take me to your reunion, but then this came up and I bailed on you.”

                “Hey. Don’t you worry about the reunion. You know I don’t think you’re gonna miss much; it’s gonna be a bunch of old fogeys like your grandpa standing around and chatting about Antarctica. You’re young, you’ve got your career, you don’t need to be here.”

                “Yeah…” She sighed. “I kind of wanted to be there, though. It would have been really interesting... and I was looking forward to seeing you again.”

                “Hey, me too. But life happens. We’ll do something else, okay?” He paused. “And hey, if there’s anything you want me to ask my old buddies, you only got to say the word. I could even see if any of’em feel like giving me a number, if you wanted to interview them or something.”

                “That would be… amazing! Of course, only if they wanted to do that, but if they did, that would be really awesome. You’re the best, grandpa.” Her phone beeped, and Raya made a face. “Um, I-I’ve got to go, we’ve got to do the main interview now.”

                “Knock’em out of the park, kid.”

                “I will. I’ll call you after it’s done – or I guess you’d be in the middle of the reunion…”

                “I’ll call you. Maybe during the reunion, if it turns out to be a snorefest. Hah!”

                Raya snorted. “Bye, grandpa. Hope it doesn’t get that boring.”

                “Fingers crossed. You take care of yourself, now. Love you.”

                “Love you too.”

                She stood up as she hung up the phone, and almost immediately the photographer came in the room. “It’s time to go,” David said.

                “Yep, I’m ready.” Raya straightened her suit. “Let’s do this.”

                They piled all their equipment into a van and set off into town. Raya had her script in front of her; she stared down at it, but her mind was elsewhere.

                Her mind was down in the Californian Isles, where a reunion for all the rescuers who helped in Antarctica were gathering. All those stories her grandfather used to tell her, all those people he’d told her about since she was a little girl… they were there, and she wasn’t going to get to see it. It was just so disappointing. She always thought she wouldn’t miss something like that for the world, but… well, the bar was a little lower than the world, apparently.

                The van came to a stop. Raya looked up, and saw the figure of the Stanley Pines Memorial Library looming over her. It was a strange-looking building, tall-roofed and triangular with all sorts of signs plastered on and around it. A pack of kids were playing on the front lawn; she watched them spot her and come racing over. The red headed figure of a chaperone followed after them.

                Raya breathed, and she pushed the reunion out of mind for her most charming smile. Showtime.

                “Hello!” She got out of the van and was immediately swarmed by children. “Oh, wow! There’s so many of you!”

                “Hi, reporter lady!”

                “Are you gonna interview me?”

                “Aunt Acacia! Aunt Acacia! The reporter lady’s here!”

                Acacia caught up to them. “Guys, guys, give her some space. Come on.” The kids dispersed, and he shook his head. “Sorry about that.”

                “No, no, it’s no problem. You must be Acacia Pines.” She stuck her hand out. “Raya Tymast, Oregon Review. It’s nice to meet you.”

                In the corner of her eye, she could see the cameraman focus in as they shook hands. Acacia’s hand was warm, and her eyes sparkled when she smiled.

                “Nice to meet you, too!” He said, and motioned her towards the house. “Why don’t you come in? My mom’s got everything set up in the gift shop. You should be able to get in and out pretty quickly.”

                “Awesome. You guys sound like pros.”

                 “Hell yeah. We’ve done this sort of thing loads of times. I think you guys even did the same sort of interview for the thirtieth anniversary, right?”

                “Yeah. It’s just a perspective piece on Gravity Falls and how things have changed since the Transcendence. Your mother had a pretty big part in that.” She blinked. “I-I mean, you already know that, of course. My bad.”

                Acacia chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Have you done this kind of thing before?”

                “Oh, yes, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

                With that, Raya pushed ahead and opened the door to the gift shop. Stay focused, now.

                The gift shop was set up when she came in; Raya could see two shelves had been pushed against the walls and two chairs had been set up in the centre. You could see the library just behind them, which would make a great backdrop for the interview.

                “Where’d she go?” Acacia walked past her. “Mom! The reporter’s here! Where are you?”

                “I’m cooking!” Came the faint reply.

                “You’re cooking? No, we’ve got that under control! You’ve got to come out here!”

                “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

                Raya looked at David, who shrugged and started setting up the camera. She sat down on the chair, and waited.

                “Where’s Al?” Acacia’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “Wait, what did you put in the dinner? Is this glitter?”

                “Summons, and yes, of course that’s glitter. You sillies didn’t add enough!” An older woman in a bright pink sweater came from behind the library shelves. Her face lit up when she saw Raya. “You’re here! Hi!”

                “Hi.” Raya stood up and extended a hand. “I’m Raya Tymast, Oregon Review. You must be-“

                The woman grabbed Raya’s hand and shook it until she thought her shoulder would come off. “Mabel Pines! It’s so great to meet you guys! Hi, camera!”

                Mabel let go. She rubbed her arm. “Right… Well, let’s do the interview. Would you like to sit down?”

                “Heck yeah! I got my favourite spinny chairs for this.”

                Raya sat down, and watched Mabel twirl around once before sitting back, her legs swinging the chair a little from side to side. This interview was going to be interesting, Raya could tell. She cleared her throat.

                “Um, anyway, it’s so nice to meet you, Mrs Pines. How are you today?”

                “I’m doing great! We’re doing a big Mrs Pines family dinner for the Transcendence. Pancakes, waffles, potatoes, eggs, glitter, the whole whammy.” She paused. “Maybe it should have been a breakfast. Oh, well.”

                Raya laughed. “That sounds good. So, do you celebrate the Transcendence every year?”

                “Yeah! It’s sorta like a holiday for us. Which, by the way, I am totally fine with. More holidays are the way to go. Gravity Falls has this holiday called Summerween, and…”

                Mrs Pines talked for a little bit, and Raya took notes. They were getting off topic already.

                “And my brother didn’t want to wear his costume, so I said-“

                “That’s a really great story, Mrs Pines.” Raya clicked her pen. “So, about the Transcendence. You played a pretty large role in bringing it about, didn’t you?”

                “Yyyyep.”

                She didn’t say anything more. Raya nodded. “Right. So, do you want to talk a little about what happened that day?”

                “Yeah, jeez, that day.” Mrs Pines shook her head. “Can’t believe it’s already been forty years. I certainly don’t feel like it’s been that long. I still have to be like, ‘Wait, I’m not still a kid?’ Hah! I guess I’ll always be a kid at heart!”

                “Yeah, you uh, really seem to have embraced that.” Raya said, crossing out a section of her notes. She decided to change course. “It has been a long time since the Transcendence happened. How would you say the world has changed since then?”

                “I mean, how hasn’t it changed? There’s magic, and there’s fairies, and there’s demons – it’s awesome!”

                “It is.” She leaned forwards. “But do you think there are any negative consequences to the Transcendence? What do you think about instances like California or Antarctica?”

                Mrs Pines waved her off. “California happened because people are stupid idiots. Every pro-nat wants to talk about California, but I say, who summoned those demons? Huh? That’s right, us boring humans. Not that I’m calling you a pro-nat; that’s just what I always say.”

                Raya nodded. “No, I understand. Well, what about Antarctica? There was much less of a human element there.”

                “Oh, Antarctica, huh?” She raised her eyebrows. “Don’t hear about that one often.”

                She didn’t say anything more, and Raya moved to strike through her notes. “Okay, so-“

                “No, hang on, hang on, I’m giving you an answer.” She twirled around in her chair again, and then spoke. “Yeah, I get it. That was awful, all those scientists who died and went mad. But we know so much about the Transcendence now, we can make sure that never happens again. Compare that with some people, who just want to bury their head in the sand and keep hoping magic goes away. News flash: it’s been forty years. I think it’s here to stay.”

                Raya scribbled down her response, and then capped her pen. “Alright, that was very interesting. Thank you for your time, Mrs Pines.”

                Mrs Pines beamed at her. “Aww, thank you! Hey, dinner’s just about ready if you guys wanted to stick around.”

                “Huh?”

                “Dinner. Are you a pancake or a waffle kind of gal? How about you, Mr Camera Man?”

                “Oh.” She smiled and shook her head. “Thank you, but I think we’ve got to head out.”

                “Busy schedule.” David added. “I have to edit the footage. Thank you, though.”

                “Alright, no problemo!” She stood up. “I’ll leave you guys to it, then! Have a great day!”

                Mrs Pines skipped off towards the kitchen. Raya exchanged glances with David. “Cuck-oo,” She mouthed. He snorted.

                “Them and the whole town.” He started to take down the cameras. “Alright, I’m gonna take these to the van.”

                “I’ll be with you in just a second.”

                She sat back, reading her notes over. There were some good parts – enough to make a story, at least. Her pen ran over the crossed out part of her notes; yes, Mrs Pines completely deflected that question. The Oregon Review just wanted a light interview, so she didn’t press it, but she couldn’t help but wonder why. The very beginning of the Transcendence was fascinating to her.

Her grandfather told her his account, how he went to sleep in a world without magic, and woke up with a pixie sitting on his nose. Everything he thought he knew about the world, turned on its head just like that. Raya couldn’t imagine it.

                “Hey.”

                Raya blinked, and realised she’d gotten distracted. She jumped up. “Oh! Sorry, David, I’ll-“

                She turned around, and made another realisation. She was not speaking to David. A young man in a black suit grinned at her.

                “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He said. He looked remarkably similar to Mrs Pines, Raya noticed. “You’re the reporter, right? From the Oregon Review?”

                “Yes. Raya Tymast, nice to meet you!”

                She extended a hand. He kept smiling at her, but he didn’t take it.

                “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m Alcor.”

                Alcor.

Alcor, as in Alcor the Dreambender.

Raya took a moment to process it. Then a cold rush of fear came over her, and she snapped her arm back to her side. “Oh! Oh, um…”

                She trailed off, and laughed awkwardly. Alcor the Dreambender! Why was the California Demon talking to her? They said he usually didn’t interfere with interviews!

                Alcor laughed a little too; she’d say it sounded nervous, if it wasn’t coming from a literal demon. “Yeah. I thought you wouldn’t want to… shake. Don’t worry, um, I’m cool. I’m not going to hurt you or anything; you’re in my house. Not that I would hurt you outside of it! Don’t take it that way.”

                “Okay.” Raya said. She wasn’t sure where this was going.

                “Look, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry. I could just tell you were just thinking of something interesting.”

                “Oh. I was just thinking about my grandfather.”

                Alcor stared at her. “Really?”

                “I was just remembering his story about where he was when the Transcendence happened.”

                “Oh, that is interesting. Where was he?” He had a very piercing gaze; Raya shifted uncomfortable, and he blinked, then quickly added, “I mean, you don’t have to talk about it. I’m just curious.”

                “Uh, well, he was on a ship – he used to be in the Coast Guard. He said he went to sleep, and when he woke up… Like waking up on another world, he said. There was a pixie on his nose, and when he went outside everyone was gathered around the radio.” She hesitated. “I just think it’s interesting. I wasn’t alive before the Transcendence, so it had to be crazy to just wake up and have that happen.”

                Alcor had been listening patiently. He nodded when she finished. “Yup. It was… a change. I got a similar story to your grandfather; everything was different when I woke up. Everything.”

                “Really?” Raya tried not to ask the question, but she just couldn’t pass it up. “What, uh, what was your story?”

                “Well, I was in Gravity Falls. I was fighting Bill – he was the demon who started the Transcendence, if you don’t know.”

                “I know the story.” She said. Alcor was part of the battle with Bill? She was dying to take out her notes right now.

                “Well, I was fighting him, and I fell unconscious, and that was when the Transcendence happened.” He sighed. “It was very different for me, afterwards.”

                “How was it different?”

                “I wish I could tell you.” He shifted in place. “Well, I guess one way was that there were suddenly centaurs and stuff on the news. I only ever saw them in Gravity Falls, so it was weird to have it suddenly be on national television.”

                “That’s amazing.”

                Alcor’s smile returned. “It was… in some ways. It really was.”

                There was a shout from the kitchen. “Hey, Al! Dinner’s ready – get your butt over here!”

                He stepped back. “That’s my cue.”

                “I need to go, too. Got to get back to the hotel.” She made a face. “Um, thank you for talking to me. It was interesting.”

                “Thank you, too. Have a good night.”

                Alcor started to leave, but then he paused. “Oh!” He turned back to face her. “Uh, none of that goes in the interview, okay?”

                Raya nodded. “I won’t put it in.”

                “Cool. Thanks again.”

                Then he walked away, disappearing behind the bookshelves, leaving Raya alone. Wow. Was that Alcor the Dreambender? He was a lot less intimidating in person. When she thought of the demon that obliterated California, that was not how she’d picture him.

                Fascinating. That whole conversation was just fascinating.

 

* * *

 

                The rest of the evening was a slog of editing, stringing together interviews and monologues into a full, coherent story. Raya checked her phone often, but her grandfather hadn’t yet called her back. Apparently he hadn’t gotten bored with the reunion yet.

                She was dying to talk to him again. If she couldn’t put Alcor in the story, then she had to tell somebody about what happened. He’d probably get a kick out of it; the world’s scariest demon is actually this very polite, very nervous guy. It was hard to laugh about it when he was there, but it gave her a chuckle when she thought about it now.

                Raya checked her phone again. It was getting late. Well, maybe in the morning.

                She closed her laptop. She slept. In the morning, she and David checked out of the hotel and loaded their things into the van. They set off, back to Portland.

                About an hour into the trip, Raya remembered her grandfather. She checked her phone – he hadn’t messaged her.

                She frowned. Weird.

                “Hey, David, mind if I call someone?”

                David shrugged. She pressed the call button, and held it up to her ear. It rang. It rang. It picked up.

                “Hey, Raya!”

                “Grandpa!” Raya smiled. “How are you? How was the reunion?”

                “Oh, it was great, actually! Sorry I didn’t call you – totally slipped my mind.” He chuckled. “I’m getting old. I got something exciting, but first I want to hear about how Gravity Falls went.”

                “Really? Oh, well Gravity Falls was pretty cool. We interviewed Mrs Pines, and…”

                Raya’s eyes slid over to David, and she made a face. She’d tell her grandfather about Alcor, but doing it with another journalist in the room seemed like a good way to piss off a demon.

                “Yeah, and?”

                “She was, uh, pretty interesting. She kept spinning around in her wheelie chair while we were interviewing her. Also she put glitter in this dinner they were having.”

                “Really? Hah! Well, I’ll tell you what, kid. You hang around magic too long and that’s what it does to ya. Doesn’t she have a demon for a brother or something?”

                Raya pursed her lips. “Yeah.”

                “Crazy. If that doesn’t mess a person up, I don’t know what does.”

                “I mean, she was very nice.”

                “Oh, I’m sure she was. But, you know, being at the reunion reminded me how glad I am none of us dabble with magic.” Her grandfather made a ‘tsk’ sound; she could imagine him shaking his head. “I saw, uh, one of the scientists we managed to rescue. When we pulled him out of Antarctica, dude wouldn’t stop talking about flowers. I think I told you, he was the guy who grew stuff on the deck.”

                Raya nodded. “I remember. What happened to him?”

                “Oh, he’s doing fine now, actually. I was surprised. He’s still a little strange though. I asked him if he can still do his plant trick, he said no. He doesn’t remember doing it. He doesn’t remember anything for months after Antarctica.” His voice slowed. “Talked about feeling… a little empty. Like there was something missing after he left. He says he keeps a garden, that helps. And you know, that’s what magic does to you. It’s true.”

                He paused, there. Then he cleared his throat.

                “I’m making the reunion out to be all doom and gloom. It wasn’t all like that; I only talked to the guy for a little bit. Most of the time I hung out with my old buddies. The normal ones, at least. Heh.”

                “That’s cool.”

                “Yeah, it was. And I got something exciting to tell you.”

                “Really?”

                “Yeah, really. ‘Cause you know, I had an old commander back in the day – her name was Ann Rein. And she came to the reunion. I was chatting to her about you, and how awesome you are.”

                Raya smiled as he kept talking.

                “I was telling her about how you’d’ve loved to be here, but you’ve got a big news story to follow over in Gravity Falls. And you know what? I got her number for you.”

                She sat up. “You did? For an actual interview?”

                “Yup.”

                “Wow, that’s – that’s amazing! Thank you so much, Grandpa! You’re the best.”

                “Anything for my little ray of sunshine.” She could almost hear his smile from the phone. “I’m just glad I could make you happy.”

                “You did. Thank you so much!”

                “You’re welcome.” Voices talked in the background, and after a moment her grandfather spoke again. “Hey, uh, I’m heading out to lunch with some of my buddies. I gotta leave you.”

                “Okay. Have a nice lunch!”

                “Will do, will do. Tell me how the Rein thing goes.”

                “I will. I love you.”

                “Love you too, kid. See ya.”

                He hung up. Raya sat back, a smile on her face.

                “Your grandpa sounds pretty cool.”

                She looked over at David. “Yeah, he is pretty cool.”

                “You’re lucky. I never met mine.”

                Raya didn’t know what to say to that. “Oh. Sorry?”

                “It’s alright. Apparently my dad’s dad was an asshole anyway, so no great loss there.” He turned the steering wheel. “Hey, what time is it?”

                “It’s, uh, twelve.”

                “Huh. Still a ways to go.”

                “Yyyyep.”

                Silence. Raya leaned forwards and turned on the radio.

 

* * *

 

                In an office building near the centre of Portland, Raya had a desk. She tried to keep it clean, but most of the time it was covered with papers on her newest assignment. It also had a takeout box balancing on the keyboard; down the street there was a Dinner Crew-themed restaurant called ‘Don Saucepan’ and it was _delicious_.

                Right now she was sifting through that mess, all the papers and pens and folders and files that she always meant to organize. She’d definitely do it… just later. She fished out a notebook and flipped to a blank page. Pens were scattered around her desk; she tried one, and then another before she found one that worked.

                “Alright.” Raya sat back in her chair and pulled out her phone. ‘Ann Rein’ was listed in her contacts. “Showtime.”

                She pressed the call button and held it up to her ear.

                It rang.

                It rang.

                It rang.

                It rang.

                And then, it picked up.

                “Hello?” Said a voice. There was a hardness to it that made Raya sit up a little straighter. “Who is this? Who’s calling me?”

                “Hello. This is Raya Tymast. My grandfather was at the Antarctica reunion; he said you’d be interested in an interview about your experiences?” Rein didn’t say anything for a long moment. Raya leaned forwards. “Um, his name is Rodney Garn. Did he-“

                “Yes, I know who you are now.” Rein snapped. “I wasn’t expecting you to call so soon. I’m at the airport flying home from California.”

                “Oh, I’m sorry. Should I call back?”

                “No. I don’t have anything better to do. Baggage claim is taking forever.”

                “Okay. So, I was calling to ask you when you’d like to schedule an interview. What days would work for you?”

                “I need to think about that.” She paused. “I want to ask you a question.”

                “Yes?”

                “Can this be anonymous?”

                Anonymous? Raya frowned. “You… don’t want your name on the interview?”

                “No. I don’t.”

                “May I ask why?”

                “It’s complicated. You’re interested in Antarctica, right?”

                “Yes. That’s what I was going to ask you about.”

                “Well, listen.” Her voice lowered. “There was a… girl, in Antarctica. Her name was Hannah Feunna. She’s gone now.”

                “Gone? Is she dead?”

                “No, she’s gone.”

                “Where did she-“

                “Look, if we’re doing the interview I’ll tell you where she went. I’m not going to lay it all out over the phone in front of a whole airport. The point is, she’s gone, okay?” Rein sighed. “She’s gone, and nobody remembers her. Nobody at the reunion even knew her name. Maybe she doesn’t care anymore, but I’d… I’d like to change that.”

                “Okay. Um…”

                Raya paused. She didn’t know how to phrase this.

                “Yes?”

                “Just so you’re aware, I don’t work at one of the really big news organizations. I work at the Oregon Review. We mostly cover stuff that happens in the state.”

                “Okay.”

                “This is more of a… personal project of mine. I’m doing this on my lunch break. I don’t know if it would really get printed; especially if it’s also anonymous, that would be a hard sell.”

                “Okay.”

                Her voice was blank, unreadable.

                “I’m sorry. Obviously, I would still be very happy to interview you, but I didn’t realize this would be something… something you’d want to reach a large audience.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t know how much my grandpa talked me up.”

                “So you can’t make it to North Arizona, I’m guessing.”

                “Arizona? Heh… you’re serious? No.”

                A pause. “Not even if I paid for the trip?”

                Raya made a face at the papers on her desk. “Well, not any time soon, I’m kind of busy at work. I’m happy to do a phone interview-“

                “No, I told you, I’m not doing it over the phone. You never know who could be…” Rein cut herself off. She sighed, deeply. “It doesn’t matter. Look, I may have misunderstood this, and got a little carried away. Thank you for your time.”

                “It’s okay. Don’t-” Raya heard the line click. “-worry about it.”

                She leaned back in her chair, staring down at her phone. Well, that was disappointing. Very disappointing, actually. She’d been looking forward to that interview, and now…

                Now she had five minutes of lunch left, and then she had to get back to work. Raya sighed and put the notebook back in her pile of paper, and turned on the computer. The article she was working on popped on screen; might as well get on with that. It wasn’t like she had an interview to schedule anymore, right?

                Leaning forward, Raya put her hand on the mouse. It hovered over her last paragraph, and then clicked away and opened a new tab. She typed two words into the search engine.

                ‘Hannah Feunna’

                Enter.


End file.
